Why Are They Called Footballs?
The term "football" is primarily used to refer to a sport played with a ball, and the ball itself is named after the sport. The reason the sport and the ball are called "football" is rooted in historical context, specifically how the game was played.
The exact etymology of the word “football” is slightly unclear, but many historians say the term dates back to the late Middle Ages. During this period, the term was used to refer to any sport that was played on foot, as opposed to sports played on horseback.
Distinguishing Games Played on Foot
In the Middle Ages, many popular competitive activities and sports involved participants riding horses, such as jousting or various cavalry exercises. Games that were played by individuals running or moving on the ground, using their feet, needed a different classification.
- Games on Foot: These included early forms of what we now recognize as football, but also potentially other ground-based sports.
- Games on Horseback: Activities like jousting, polo (in its early forms), and other equestrian sports.
The term "football" served as a simple descriptor to distinguish these ground-based sports where players were on their feet. While the modern game involves kicking the ball with the foot extensively (in some codes more than others), the historical name originates more broadly from the mode of play—being on foot—rather than solely the action of kicking the ball.
This historical usage stuck, and as various codes of "football" evolved (like association football, rugby football, American football, gridiron football, etc.), the name remained attached to the sport and, by extension, the ball used in that sport.
